Cooking appliances, such as cooktop or range appliances generally include heating elements for heating cooking utensils, such as pots, pans and griddles. A variety of configurations can be used for the heating elements located on the cooking surface of the cooktop. The number of heating elements or positions available for heating on the range appliance can include, for example, four, six, or more depending upon the intended application and preferences of the buyer. These heating elements can vary in size, location, and capability across the appliance.
Recipes or prepared instructions for cooking a specific food item have been a long-standing staple of all types of cooking. Although some individuals are able to cook without the aid of any prepared list of steps, many individuals require a specific set of instructions in order to cook or prepare a desired food item. These recipes may be provided in books, cards, and increasingly, on an electronic user device. A website or software application (i.e., “app”) may present a recipe as a dynamic or interactive set of instructions, which many users find easier to understand than a generic printed or text-based recipe.
Unfortunately, existing systems can provide an unsatisfactory user experience and can inhibit a user's desired interactions with a cooking appliance. Recipe books are often cumbersome and difficult to use while cooking. Pages may rip, stain, burn, or become otherwise damaged during use. Moreover, printed materials do not allow for immediate real-time guidance or information. Electronic user devices that are connected to the Internet, such as a computer, tablet or smartphone, may allow for immediate interaction with remote information servers or individuals. However, such devices are generally not suitable for use in tandem with a cooking appliance. A user may be forced to repeatedly move away from the cooking appliance in order to view the device or provide any input instructions. Moreover, the extreme environment near a cooking appliance may risk damaging the device. If a user is following a recipe, the user must often look away from the cooking appliance and read how the cooking appliance is to be used (e.g., the temperature at which the cooking appliance must be set), and then manually direct the cooking appliance accordingly. This may be true regardless of whether the recipe is provided in a book, on an electronic user device, or elsewhere. Although cooking appliances and cooking areas can vary greatly, it is generally up to the user to ensure that the instructions are followed correctly.
As a result, improved systems are needed for facilitating user engagement and interaction during use of a cooking appliance. In particular, it may be advantageous to provide a user engagement system is provides guided cooking instructions based on the actual cooking environment being used.